Kenny Jackett hails Wolverhampton Wanderers' achievement

Kenny Jackett insists Wolverhampton Wanderers' promotion fate is in their own hands.

Wanderers took another step towards an immediate return to the Championship with a 3-0 victory at Black Country rivals Walsall.

Jackett saw his table-topping team notch an eight successive league win, equalling a club record, and they kept a clean sheet for the sixth game in a row.

Two Nouha Dicko goals and another from Bakary Sako saw Wolves open up a two-point lead over second-placed Leyton Orient, who could only draw 0-0 at Notts County, and maintain a three-point cushion over third-placed Brentford.

"I'm pleased to say it's in our own hands now, and you can't ask for more than that,`` said Wanderers boss Jackett.

"It was a very good win in a potentially tricky game for us. You could see the motivation in the Walsall players and supporters to beat Wolves, and the build up showed it was a massive game for us too, quite rightly. The last time Wolves were here was 1983.

"The first goal was crucial, and it was an excellent goal from some good old fashioned wing play. That gave us a great incentive and something to hang onto. We could sit deep, defend well, and we did that. Getting that first goal was something we had targeted.

"Eight successive wins is a terrific achievement and it will be hard if we don't win promotion. If we achieve promotion and get some records as well, it would be great."

Walsall, beaten for the fourth successive time, are slipping out of the play-off chase but manager Dean Smith felt the scoreline was not a fair reflection on his team.

He said: "It was a very harsh scoreline because we were in the game for long periods. We came out in the second half and the unfortunate goal we then conceded knocked the stuffing out of us for a while.

"They were more clinical than us but it was very harsh on the players and I'm pleased they did not just accept 3-0 and kept going. I thought we played some very good stuff, and we are not going to play against that quality every week.

"People will look at the 3-0 scoreline, but we were in the game throughout. A lot of teams 3-0 down would have thrown in the towel but the players kept going and we had chances after that.

``We shall take a lot of positives from the game. We have had more chances in the game but they were more clinical."